Cellphones 2010 - 2017

Students LOVE their Cellphones. In fact, it has become an addiction to some. I continue to try various habits to take some control over the use of phones in my class. One thing is certain: cellphones are here to stay AND the problem will only get worse before it gets better.

Here are two solutions I tried in the relatively "early" days of cellphones (Around 2010). This was when SOME students tried to use the phones in the class (and maybe only HALF of the students even had cellphones.)  I post them here to provide some historical reference and give some ideas for possible use in your classroom. However, these were out-dated policies that I have more recently stopped using.

Calculator Storage

In 2014 I purchased five of these red, calculator storage mats. I mounted them on this rolling clothes rack. My ORIGINAL intention was to use this as an entire classroom management device. I thought I might use something like these red/yellow cards for behavior. I could then stick them in this display for students to see. I could also have (some) students place their cellphones in their pockets if needed.

In truth, I ONLY ended up using this for cellphones, and ONLY for quiz/test-taking. If a student EVER was caught using their cellphone while quizzes or tests were out on their desk (even if the quiz was face down) I would (a) immediately confiscate the cellphone for the day and then (b) every time we took a quiz/test later in the year only THOSE students would have to place their cellphone in the pocket. At the beginning of every test/quiz I would ROLL OUT the whole display to the front of the classroom as a reminder about the policy. After a few months into the school year I would usually have confiscated one-or-two cellphones in each class period and that would be enough of a deterrent to stop any other students from trying it.

NOTE: Today, this would be LITTLE of a deterrent in some of my classes. It is the 2018 school year and after just two months I already had up to SIX students in some classes who had to confiscate their phones for every quiz. Also: Over half of the student's cellphones now-a-days are TOO BIG for this storage pocket chart. I had to move to a chart with larger/fewer pockets.

WWII Kill Marks

In 2012 I posted this somewhat elaborate display in the front of my room. It is about three feet wide. It depicts a WWII fighter plane shooting down a rather odd "flying" cellphone. Below the plane are victory/kill marks. I actually CONFISCATED phones during regular lessons back in the day. I would then make a show of putting up one of these round victory marks. Throughout the year the number of cellphone confiscations would increase so that every student could see it displayed. It would remind them that I DO indeed take away cellphones. For those first few years I might have up to 14 circles on the wall. And that was from ALL FIVE of my classes.

NOTE: Today, this would be a joke. I could end up with over 20 of these kill marks just from a single class.

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Colby's Recommendation Rating: 40% (Out of Date)
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